Photo: Foothill Gold Line Board Members (left to right) – Montclair Mayor John Dutrey, South Pasadena representative Dan Evans, Caltrans District 7 Deputy Director of Planning Marlon Regisford, La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn, Glendora Council Member Mendell Thompson (Vice Chair), Claremont Council Member Ed Reece (Chair), Pomona Mayor and Metro Board Member Tim Sandoval, Pasadena Council Member Gene Masuda.
At their February meeting yesterday, Claremont Council Member Ed Reece and Glendora Council Member Mendell Thompson were re-elected as Chair and Vice Chair (respectively) of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority Board of Directors, following a unanimous vote by their peers. The re-election of Chair Reece and Vice Chair Thompson comes during a critical time at the Construction Authority, as the agency oversees the transition of the recently completed 9.1-mile, four-station project segment from Glendora to Pomona to LA Metro for passenger service, as well as continues the process to hire a design-build contractor to build the final 3.2-mile, two-station project segment to Claremont and Montclair.
“We have completed another chapter of the Foothill Gold Line, which will bring light rail service and all of its benefits to the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona in the coming months,” stated Chair Reece. “With 23 of the 25 planned Foothill Gold Line stations from Los Angeles to Montclair now complete, we look forward to continuing to guide the agency to its final destinations in Claremont and Montclair.”
Chair Reece and Vice Chair Thompson have both been on the Construction Authority board for four years, as well as having served on the project’s Joint Powers Authority board for several years before that. During their tenure on the Construction Authority and Joint Powers Authority boards, the Glendora to Pomona project advanced from final design to major construction and, despite being underway in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project reached substantial completion on time and on budget in early-January 2025. Additionally, in the past year, as the procurement process to hire the design-builder for the Pomona to Montclair project was underway, Chair Reece and Vice Chair Thompson oversaw the Construction Authority board’s approval of the funding agreement between Metro and the Construction Authority for the allocation of $798 million from SB125 for construction of the LA County portion of the Pomona to Montclair project.
“I, along with Vice Chair Thompson, want to thank our colleagues on the board for continuing to believe, not just in our leadership, but the vision of the Foothill Gold Line reaching across county lines,” added Chair Reece. “Connecting Claremont and Montclair to the growing network of rail lines in Los Angeles County will provide a reliable and sustainable option for people traveling to and from the eastern end of Los Angeles and western end of San Bernardino Counties, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of life for our region’s residents, workers, students and visitors.”
The Foothill Gold Line board is made up of elected and appointed representatives from throughout the project corridor. In addition to the Chair and Vice Chair, the board currently includes Pomona Mayor and Metro Board Member Tim Sandoval, La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn, Montclair Mayor John Dutrey, Pasadena Council Member Gene Masuda, and South Pasadena representative Dan Evans.